After falling to 1-4 on the season following a 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson find themselves searching for answers.
And one of those potential solutions could come in the form of Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski turning over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who the team hired to replace Alex Van Pelt this past offseason.
Following Cleveland’s defeat — which marked its third in as many games — Watson was asked whether he believes Stefanski should let Dorsey call plays. And in answering, the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback didn’t exactly give a ringing endorsement of the Browns’ head coach.
“That’s a Kevin question,” Watson replied, according to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
Q: If (Ken) Dorsey brought in all this new stuff, should he be the one calling plays?
Watson: “That’s a Kevin question.”
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 6, 2024
Watson’s response is especially notable as the former Clemson star finds himself in the midst of a disastrous third season in Cleveland. Entering Sunday’s Week 5 matchup against the Commanders, the 29-year-old quarterback had completed 61.5 percent of his pass attempts for 727 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Watson followed up his underwhelming first four starts by completing 15 of his 28 pass attempts for 125 yards, one touchdown and one fumble lost in the Browns’ 21-point defeat to the Commanders. While it’s unclear whether changing play-callers would help Watson — who is set to remain Cleveland’s starting quarterback — you can’t fault anyone for looking for potential solutions.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.